Keebler Tato Skins and the Chips That Tasted Like Dinner
Some chips were built for burgers. Keebler Tato Skins were built to taste like you swiped the whole appetizer tray before dinner even started. That was the hook, and what…
Posted inPop Culture Toys and Games
Micro Machines and the Tiny Cars Kids Took Everywhere
There was a moment when a whole fleet could fit in your palm, and that felt like magic. Micro Machines were tiny enough to lose in the couch, yet big…
Posted inPop Culture Fads Fashion Toys and Games Trends
Slap Bracelets and the School Ban Panic
You could hear them before you saw them, that fast little snap in the middle of homeroom. Slap bracelets were cheap, bright, weirdly satisfying, and almost impossible for kids to…
Posted inPop Culture Fads Toys and Games Trends
Scratch and Sniff Stickers, the School Prize Kids Saved
One scratch, and the whole desk smelled like grape soda, strawberry candy, or a cartoon pizza party at 10 a.m. If you grew up in the age of reward charts…
Sega Genesis and the 16-Bit Leap Kids Wanted
You didn't need a spec sheet to know the Sega Genesis felt like a real step up. One look at the screen, one blast of that crunchy music, one quick…
Posted inPop Culture Discontinued Treats Favorite Foods Food Saturday Morning Cartoons Toys and Games Trends
Fruit Stripe Gum and the Tattoo Wrapper Kids Loved
Some candies were good. Fruit Stripe Gum, the zebra gum with the striped packs, was a whole scene. You remember the pack first, don't you? The wild stripes, Yipes the…
Nerds Cereal, the Candy-Coated Breakfast Kids Begged For
If you were a kid in the 1980s, the cereal aisle could feel like a toy store with milk. Bright boxes shouted at you. Mascots grinned at you. Sugar pretty…
Posted inPop Culture Discontinued Treats Favorite Foods Food
Carnation Breakfast Bars and the Quick Breakfast Kids Really Ate
There was a special kind of school morning chaos in the 70s and 80s: one shoe on, a backpack half-zipped, the TV still on in the other room, and somebody…
Why The Facts of Life Became an After-School Sitcom Favorite
Some shows belonged to Friday night. The Facts of Life sitcom belonged to that strange, perfect stretch after school, when the backpack hit the floor, the snack came out, and…
Posted inPop Culture Toys and Games Video Games
Nintendo Entertainment System: The Console Kids Begged For In The 80s
Some toys got circled in the catalog. The Nintendo Entertainment System got underlined, starred, and brought up at dinner three times a week. If you were a kid in the…